Lynette Horsburgh

Lynette Horsburgh ( ; born 1974) is a Scottish-English semi-professional, world champion pool and national champion snooker player, as well as an international-class player of English billiards. In sport, she represents Scotland. Outside sport, she is a professional Web content producer and journalist at BBC News Online.

Career Horsburgh began playing snooker at age 8 on a home table, wearing roller skates to reach the table, playing in earnest since 11, and competing in weekend tournaments as a teenager. She says that playing at the Commonwealth Sporting Club in Blackpool in 1983 with her hero, world champion Steve Davis, is what inspired her. She lamented the snooker hall's demolition in 2009 (though it had been converted into a bowling alley in 1989) and the role the venue played for her in a sport dominated by men:

2001–2004 Horsburgh made it to the final round of the 2001 Women's World Snooker Championship, losing 2–4 to Lisa Quick of England. Horsburgh rose to the no. 1 ranking in the 2003/2004 season on the WLBSA Ladies' World Snooker Tour. and the final match of the LG Cup, losing only to Kelly Fisher, who was on an unprecedented 48-match winning streak across 10 tournaments. Horsburgh lost 3–4, despite having early leads of 1–0 and 2–1.

Horsburgh began transitioning into pool in 2003 and made it her primary cue sports focus by March 2004. She was the runner-up in the EPA 2004 Ladies' International Pool Tour Event 2 early in the year, (and later a record-setting ten-time world champion, 2005–2014). Horsburgh had the highest break (consecutive run) of the event, of 82 points during her 4–1 semifinal victory against June Banks. She competed again in the WLBSA Ladies' World Snooker Championship, reaching the finals for a second time, losing to Reanne Evans , despite having bested her for the world title in 2004. Horsburgh was also the runner up in a third discipline – English billiards – defeated 136–243 by three-time Indian national champion Anuja Thakur. She also competed in the 2006 Ladies' World Championship in the singles and (with Natalie Madden) doubles divisions. in the discipline of eightball pool (also known as blackball, and not to be confused with eight-ball). She beat Barbara Taylor (then-current World Cup Champion and later captain of the England Ladies' team) in the televised final, 8–6, after initially trailing 0–2; both were first-time finalists. Horsburgh also entered some open events (i.e., competing against male as well as female pros), such as the 2009 Ireland's Invitation 8Ball Pool Pro-Am Classic, where she reached the last 32.

Additional player background She represents Scotland as an international player, both in pool and snooker, As of 2015, she had remained active in competitive snooker, too, in the form of pro-am tournaments in ten-red snooker, a fast-paced version of the game. Horsburgh has appeared on BBC One's snooker game show Big Break three times.

Horsburgh has a recorded high snooker break of 135, only 12 short of a maximum break. of only even. and an exhibition player (with Karl Boyes, Mick Hill, and Ian McCulloch).

Personal life Lynette Anne Horsburgh was born in Blackpool on 8 February 1974 and Anne (née Regan) Horsburgh, for BBC News Online, he is co-owner of Blackpool's remaining pool and snooker club, Qs Cue Sports Lounge.

Titles

Snooker

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref. Winner 1 1999 Ladies' Grand Prix Winner 2 1999 British Open Ladies' Championship Winner 3 2000 Regal Welsh Open Championship, Ladies' division Winner 4 2004 WLBSA Ladies' UK Championship

Pool

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref. Winner 1 2004 SPA Ladies' Singles Championship Winner 2 2004 WEPF Ladies' UK National Championship Runner-up 3 2004 EPA Ladies' Champion of Champions Winner 5 2005 WEPF World Team Champions, Scottish Ladies Team B captain Runner-up 6 2005 WEPF Women's European Championship Winner 7 2008 WEPF World Eightball Championship, Women's Barbara Taylor 8-6

English billiards

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref. Runner-up 1 2005 World Women's Billiards Championship Anuja Thakur 136–243